Ancient History VCE UNIT 1-

Mesopotamia content

Two rivers in Mesopotamia

Tigress and Euphrates

Result of Terrain

Water access fertile land, people move to water agriculture to food surplus

“Fertile Crescent”

Positioning in the world

Close to center opening trade routes to the Mediterranean sea, Persian Gulf and Nubia bellow. Africa, Asia and Europe opening trades

Result of agriculture

food surplus, craft specialization, condensed population leading to towns

Why was the first army formed

Infighting between major city states like Uruk and Ur.

Sargon of Akkad time period

2334 to 2279 BCE

What did Sargon do

Create the first long standing professional army and the first fully operational military

Merged Assyrian and Babylon

Stopping of taxation on Ashur & Harran leading to mistrust within the country against their leader and tensions spreading disconcernted people and bad feeling. 

Effects of militant group

Other city states creating their own empire.

After the fall of Akkad creates a power vacuum in Mesopotamia

Hammurabi Reign

(c. 1792-1750BCE)

Hammurabi?

Creator of the first laws “eye for an eye” steel of Hammurabi?

Hammurabi's law codes linking himself and the law codes with the Gods (Shamash god of sun)

Tiglashpiliser III rule

745–727 BCE

Tiglathpiliser roles and actions

Tiglathpilser military king expanded into Mesopotamia and established trade routes with the pheonetians.